Commander's Update - from June 2, 2009

With the recent addition of one of the 1613th Engineer Company's platoons, from the Indiana National Guard, we have 190 soldiers here with us. They're all doing an absolutely fantastic job. Each and every day presents its own set of challenges, but there are rarely any complaints...only suggestions on how to approach issues or ways to make life better.

There's not a great deal of free time, which can be a great thing in terms of making the days pass along quickly. The current policy is that we work seven days a week, sun-up to sun-down. The platoons manage their personnel to provide time to them for paying their bills, doing their laundry, and resting. We generally try to stay away from the projects or from the office on Sunday mornings, and we take every other Friday for safety classes and for a little down-time.

We currently fall under and active duty Engineer battalion, but the 877th Engineer Battalion will be on the ground within the next month and will provide the 166th Engineer Company's immediate command and control until we leave next year. The 877th Engineer Battalion is our headquarters battalion in Alabama and consists of the 166th Engineer Company, 168th Engineer Company, Field Support Company, and Headquarters Support Company. We've established a good relationship with our current Command, but it will be nice to see the familiar faces of those arriving with the 877th Engineer Battalion!

We have several on-going projects. Today we're working to expand the Brigade Tactical Operations Center on FOB Sharana, constructing the post's new storage container yard, building a new roadway from the air field to what will soon be the post's new Entry Control Point, constructing a new Combat Outpost for incoming Jordanian forces, "winterizing" a long list of Combat Outposts throughout eastern Afghanistan, and planning for our future projects. Those projects soon to come consist of building a new Morale Welfare and Recreation center for soldiers here at FOB Sharana and upgrading housing, electrical wiring, plumbing, and protection for several Combat Outposts and Forward Operating Bases in eastern Afghanistan.

Winterization will likely prove to be one of the most challenging projects we'll manage. The first step of the process involves assessing the different sites to identify deficiencies. Next, we'll have to identify the scope of work involved at each location so that we can order the appropriate supplies. The final, and most difficult, step is the movement of the personnel and supplies to each of the locations. The majority are air-locked due to the threat, lack of sufficient roadways, or due to elevations that reach well above 8,000 feet. Coordinating helicopters and flights to and from requires a good deal of attention and an equal amount of luck because of various weather conditions on any given day. Winterization tasks consist of providing a warm place for soldiers to sleep, a place to store food and water, insulation for plumbing, repairing structures to support the added weight of any snow that may fall, and correcting any electrical issues. The list today consists of almost 50 different sites, but we are working to identify those that will not require our support. More likely than not, this process will last throughout the entire year, into the winter months.

Again, we're all doing well. Our continued thanks go out to everyone for all of your support and prayers. We can't thank you enough.